Ramal stood in front of Dnoeth’s prone form defensively. The demon’s screaming and hammering on the cliff side was unnerving, and even though it didn’t seem to be making any headway, he still felt compelled to defend his unconscious teammate.

Its sudden eruption of chittering screams and furious attacks had started at nearly the same moment that the young man had touched the liquid metal, leading Ramal to believe that the demon was somehow connected to it.

Roxanna sat, limp and unresponsive, a couple paces to his right. When the metal had begun to flow over Dnoeth, she’d rushed to pull him away, but when her hand landed on his shoulder, she’d stiffened as if shocked, then stumbling back and collapsed. She was still sitting there now, head between her knees.

He shot a look back at Dnoeth, the younger man was flat on his back with his left hand reaching into the liquid steel. The shining layer that covered him looked thick and tight against his body, almost as if he was vacuum sealed in it.

The effect reminded Ramal of an old movie where a gregarious pirate got encased in something called carbonite. The movie was a favorite of Bendik’s, and his boss had at one time explained that the scene was his inspiration for the Texier nanocarbon body suits.

That connection didn’t make any sense to Ramal... Solo. That was the character’s name, Han Solo. Or was it Hon? He wasn’t sure.

His reminiscing was interrupted as, before his eyes, the liquid metal collapsed into Dnoeth’s body. The man’s hand jerked from the liquid metal and slammed into the floor. His back arched off the ground and he screamed bloody murder.

Outside the demon stopped hammering and unleashed an ear-splitting warbling chitter.

Ramal looked to the tunnel and back to Dnoeth. Concern screwed up his features.

Was Dnoeth still himself? What if he woke up possessed by some demonic power? Ramal had no idea what he’d do, he really didn’t want to kill him. A little bit of distance suddenly seemed like a good idea.

Grabbing Roxanna under her arms he dragged the woman over to one of the side tunnels and stood in front of her, eyes riveted on the younger man.

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Interestingly, free of an intruding hand, the liquid metal had begun to flow again, and bars of it were rising slowly from the platform that filled the square opening.

As suddenly as the chaos had begun it ended. The demon fell silent and Dnoeth lay still. For a minute or more the room was quiet, the only motion that of the bars slowly growing from the platform of liquid metal.

Dnoeth slowly sat up and looked over at the gradually growing metal cage. Instead of waiting for some sign indicating he was still himself, Ramal spoke, “Hey Dnoeth. You okay?”

The seated man held up a hand with a single finger extended. “Okay.” Ramal intoned quietly. “That seems promising.”

“What happened?” Roxanna asked from behind him, still sounding woozy.

“Well…” Ramal started, then continued to explain the chaos of the last several minutes, ending with, “And now this.”

Roxanna was standing as he finished, and she came up next to him on unsteady legs. “Is he ok?”

“I think so, but I’m not sure. When I asked, he held up a finger.”

“I’m fine.” Dnoeth said. Then with a tone that beamed, added, “Better than fine.”

He stood and held out a hand toward the cage, the bars bent slightly toward him then snapped back and continued growing.

Ramal and Roxanna walked over to him, as they got close, he walked around the side of the cage and turned to look at them, he was smiling with eyes that glinted silver, only hinting of their previous green.

Dnoeth indicated the cage with one hand. “That’s an elevator.” Then he stepped to the back wall and looked up studying the melted block from which the metal was emerging.

After a moment, Dnoeth put a hand on the metal wall. As had happened with the small square, seams appeared in the steel, these outlining a door directly below it, then the metal within shifted, also becoming wet and glossy.

Unlike the smaller area’s thumb width liquid tendril, from the door surged forth a two-foot-wide twisting tentacle of metal, immediately bending left.

It splashed against the far side wall and rapidly spread out, coating the wall, then continued running around the corner, up onto the ceiling, and down over the floor.

As the inch-thick steel slid toward his companion’s feet they both looked to him with real concern. “It’s safe, just step on,” He assured them. They did with no small amount of trepidation, then relaxed when the metal did not spread over them

The liquid covered over all of the ventilation tunnels and the vertical shaft. In less than half a minute the entire chamber was encased in metal and it flashed solid, back to a dull buffed sheen.

Roxanna and Ramal were turning about, staring in amazement at the sight. Dnoeth got their attention by clearing his throat.

“And down there,” he said, indicating the newly created corridor with a toothy grin. “Is the armory for the Und Varden Strike teams. As of now–I think that’s us.”